Xpan

the Magic of shooting with film

By the time I get around to sending my film to the lab I have forgotten what I had shot… so it’s always a surprise when I get them back from the lab… these next 4 images were all shot using my Hassalblad Xpan panoramic camera. It takes a 35mm film and I shoot using Fuji Velvia 50. The Xpan is a unique camera in that it takes normal frames or a panoramic image, and although film is getting harder to buy, develop and scan I think I will keep shooting with it as I love the challenge. With my DSLR I tend to get a little lazy as it’s easy to just check my exposure as I take each shot, with film, I need to put more thought into what I am shooting and what exposure settings to use.

Film Scanning

It is kind of cool, I went to the lab to pick up my first roll of developed Fuji Velvia 50, and when I got the the lab, Dali (the guy that developed my film) was there to greet me, he placed my film on the light table and gave me a loupe to look through, and I was amazed at the level of detail, contrast and colour caught by this film. It was a fun way to see my images, I had shot on film in the past but never knew what I was doing, so it is nice to try it all over again.

What I did find out was the Xpan had a tendency to under expose in this particular situation, that is, light blue sky and 50% of the frame filled with it. Luckily I bracketed my shots as the Fuji Velvia certainly does not like to be under exposed. Trying to get detail out of the underexposed shots is like pulling teeth… I think I will need to use my DSLR or get a light meter to get more accurate light readings.

I then went on to make the mistake of finding a cheap local guy to scan my film, it was terrible, full of dust particles and I think he even scratched my slide film in the process… lucky it is only La Perouse and I can go back and shoot it, and not some once in a lifetime photographic opportunity. After all, this is a test film and I am learning fast!

the daily pic – La Perouse by Xpan

Here is my first attempt out of my Hasselblad Xpan film camera. It is a Panoramic Film camera and this first film was really a bit of a test film so I could see what the camera does. These days, I get instant feedback from my Digital Camera so I can see what adjustments I have to make to get the right exposure etc. With a film camera, I have to wait for the film to come back from the lab. I need to find someone that can scan them at at high resolution for me, but you get the idea… this is straight from the Fuji Velvia 50 slide scan… enjoy!

My first Xpan attempt… Bare Island at La Perouse – Click on it for a closer look!